4.5 The Last Lesson
Warming Up!
Chit-Chat:
1. How was this year for you?
Ans: This year was very interesting for me. I learned many novel things during this year. This year cultivated literary interests in me.
2. Are you happy with what you could study this year?
Ans: Yes, I am happy with what I could study this year. I could study many forms literature during this year.
3. What did you miss, or could not do?
Ans: I missed our school trip to Ganpatipule. Because of busy schedule of study, I could not join this trip.
4. What do you plan to do about it- about the things you could not do/study well?
Ans: I plan to visit Ganpatipule and other tourists’ places during summer vacation with my family members.
5. What was the best moment for you this year?
Ans: Winning first prize in science exhibition was the best moment for me.
Growing Sentences
1. Forms pairs. Write two sentences of two words each.
Ans:
1) stand up
2) sit down
2. Form groups of three. Write three sentences of three words each.
Ans:
1) Krishna likes reading.
2) Snehal prefers coffee.
3) Prasad works hard.
3. Form groups of four. Write four sentences of four words each.
Ans:
1) I read a book
2) Prerana is drawing rangoli.
3) Srushti watches TV serials.
4. Continue to write as many sentences as the number of students in the group, till you reach number 10.
Ans:
Groups of five-
1) I am watching TV serials.
2) She is reading the newspaper.
3) She painting colorful pictures.
4) They were playing cricket yesterday.
5) My mother is cooking food.
* After that, go on forming bigger groups and writing sentences with as many words as the number of students in the group. However, you may write only one or two sentences at each step after 10.
* See if you can make a sentence with as many words in it as there are students in your classroom.
5. Write the sentence in big letters on chart paper and display it in classroom.
Ans: This is a sample solution of this activity. The students should complete this activity under the guidance of their teachers.
Margin Questions for Discussion:
1) Who is M. Hamel?
Ans: M. Hamel is the French teacher in Franz’s school.
2) In what region does the story take place?
Ana: In Alsace and Loraine.
3) In what time period does the story take place?
Ans: During the world – war-France-Prussian war.
4) Why is the iron ruler said to be terrible?
Ans: The iron ruler is said to be terrible because it was with this ruler Mr. Hamel punished the students.
5) Who is narrating the story?
Ans: Franz, a student, is narrating the story.
6) How did M. Hamel dress up on special occasions?
Ans: On special occasions, M. Hamel dressed up his green coat, frilled shirt and a little black silk cap all embroidered.
7) Is the school closing down?
Ans: No, the school is not closing down.
8) Why is it the last lesson?
Ans: It is the last lesson because an order had come from Berlin to teach only German in the school od Alsace and Loraine. M. Hamel was a French teacher. The new masters would come on the following day to teach German.
9) What subject does Franz study in school?
Ans: Franz studies grammar, writing in French language and history of the saints.
10) Why were the old men of the village attending school that day?
Ans: The old men of the village were attending school that day because they were sorry that they had not gone to school more often, it was their way of thanking the French master M. Hamel for his forty years of faithful service and of showing their respect for the country that was no longer theirs.
11) Find where Alsace and Loraine are located with the help of the map?
Ans: In the France region.
12) Why did M. Hamel not scold Franz?
Ans: M. Hamel did not scold Franz because he was feeling guilty for not learning French properly while he has good chance. His parents were also responsible for the same.
13) According to M. Hamel, who one the people that did not take education seriously? What examples does he give to support his view?
Ans: According to M. Hamel the people of Alsace did not take education seriously he gave the example of Franz’s parents who wanted Franz to work on a farm or at the mills instead of learning.
14) Why did Franz understand his lesson well?
Ans: Franz understood his last lesson well because he listened so carefully and M. Hamel had never explained everything with so much patience.
15) With the coming of the Prussians will language be the only thing that will change? What other changes may take place?
Ans: With the coming of the Prussians not only language but also the culture of France will be changed. Other things like dress, mode of living, policies, rules and regulations, social, economic conditions will be changed.
16) Where did M. Hamel live? Who lived with him?
Ans: M. Hamel lived above the school -room. His sister lived with him.
17) Why M. Hamel was leaving the country?
Ans: M. Hamel was leaving the country because he did not want to follow the Prussians. He was extremely patriotic towards France. The Prussians had taken over Alsace and Loraine.
18) Why did the author say, “I never saw him look so tall”?
Ans: The author was always afraid of M. Hamel and did not understand what he taught and also developed respect for him. On the last day of this lecture, the narrator understood and remembered the last lesson so he said, “I never saw him look so tall”.
English Workshop
1. Find the meaning of the following words from a good dictionary.
1) sawmill – a factory where wood is cut with machinery.
2) Prussian – a citizen of Prussia.
3) apprentice – a person who learns some skill needed in job.
4) nuisance – annoyance.
5) cranky – irritable.
6) hold fast to something – to process something firmly despite of any difficulties.
7) at one stroke – with a single immediate action.
8) might – strength.
2. List the people and their occupations mentioned in the story.
Ans:
1) Little Franz = Narrator/ student
2) M. Hamel = Teacher
3) Watcher = Blacksmith
4) Classmates = students studying in the same class.
3. Find five words ending with ‘-ing’ and five words ending with ‘-ed’ from the lesson.
Ans:
Words ending with ‘-ing’ –
Scolding, running, spending, chirping, drilling, reading, making, closing opening, rapping, walking, beginning.
Words ending with ‘-ed’
Stared, passed, hurried, happened, frightened, called.
4. Find five examples of commonly used past participles from the story. For example, said, learnt.
Ans: got, put, enslaved, explained, mounted, dismissed, looked.
5. What is the meaning of the following words and phrase in the passage? Choose the correct alternative.
a) ……….. was in great dread of
– was afraid of
b) ….. did not know the first word about them
– did not know anything about them.
c) terrible iron ruler
– ruler with which the master hit he student hard
d) ………. Got a little over my fright
-got less frightened
e) What a thunderclap these words were to me!
-The words came as shock.
f) ……. she put off learning tomorrow
-she did not learn at that time
6. Fill in the following blanks using proper words from ‘who’, ‘when’, ‘how’ or ‘why’.
a) She started jumping for joy when she heard the news.
b) You must tell why I mustn’t do it.
c) The person who is making the speech is my friend.
d) They wondered what had happened to him.
e) You must show me how to mix the solutions.
f) I’ll tell you when it is time to leave.
* Write a letter of thanks to your English teacher. Thank him/her for everything that he/she did for you.
Ans:
Prerna Bidwe
202, Krishna Apartments,
Shiv Nagar, Latur.
20 April, 2018
Dear Pawar Sir,
I would like to express my gratitude for you whatever you have done for me. Really your efforts cannot be expressed through words. I have no words to say thank you
I was very poor in English. I got only passing marks. I couldn’t read fluently. However, I couldn’t understand whatever I read. I couldn’t write a single grammatically correct sentence. Speaking and communication were beyond my abilities. I came to you and shared my problem. You listened my problem attentively.
Then you spotted my weak points. You guided me how to overcome my weak points. You told me how me how to read properly. Your guidance was useful to acquire basic language skills. You boosted my confidence. Your encouragement became a source of inspiration for me. However, you have paid personal attention to me.
Now I can speak English fluently. I can read English with understanding. I can write in correct way. It is result of your valuable guidance and encouragement. I assure you that I will be well versed like you. But how can I forget your guidance?
Thankyou you very much.
Your obediently,
Prerna Bidwe.
7. Write a short note on your mother tongue and the attempts you make to study it well.
Ans: Marathi is my mother tongue. It is the language of my family as well as my village. My village includes many Marathi speakers. I learnt Marathi words from my mother and other relatives. I did not make any special effort for developing listening skills in Marathi. Marathi has a rich literature. Marathi poems, dramas, novels are full of remarkable incidents. The poets, dramatists and full novelists contributed in the development of Marathi literature. I read maximum Marathi literature. It cultivated my reading skills.
I listened many well-known speakers. I understood their styles of speaking. However, I participated in different speech competition. It developed my speaking skills. I took guidance of our Marathi teacher to develop my writing skills. I followed his suggestions and developed myself in writing skills.
In this way, I have made different attempts to study my mother tongue well.
8. Write points and counter points on the following topics:
* You should study all subjects in your mother tongue.
Ans:
Points-
1. Mother tongue is a powerful medium of acquiring knowledge.
2. The students acquire knowledge through mother tongue easily.
3. The students get clarification of all ideas easily.
4. Learning through mother tongue is easy so it becomes interesting.
Counter points-
1. Nowday6s knowledge is becoming wide and vast, so everything is not available in our mother tongue.
2. We have become global about getting knowledge, then why should we depend only on mother tongue?
3. Reference books, dictionaries make process of acquiring knowledge simple and interesting.
4. If learning through English or any other language rather than our mother tongue is a challenge, we should accept challenge.
*You must memories the rules of grammar
Ans:
Points-
1. Grammar is soul of language.
2. Grammar is essence of language.
3. Grammar is a way of getting fluency and command over language.
4. Learning grammar enables to understand the language easily.
5. Learning and memorizing grammar rules are useful in learning language.
Counter points-
1. Grammar is an important thing in learning language.
2. Grammar can’t be treated as a soul of language because we speak our mother tongue without learning grammar.
3. We can get command over any language by reading various reference books, various forms of literature Grammar give us accuracy not fluently.
4. Practice makes man perfect. So, we should practice some basic things in grammar through memorizing rules is outdated.
5. The experts have invented some ways and techniques of learning grammar without reciting and memorizing rules.
9. Why was Franz sad?
Ans: When Franz came to know that M. Hamel was leaving, he realized that he had not learned a single word of French, his own language and now they would start teaching German.
He was also sad thinking about the condition of M. Hamel who was leaving the school after forty years of faithful service.
10. What should people never lose even when they lose freedom?
Ans: People should never lose their own language when they lose freedom.